William Zepeda finds himself in the hot seat for the vacant WBC lightweight title after the sanctioning body officially stripped Shakur Stevenson today.
The move comes on the heels of Shakur jumping up to 140 pounds this past Saturday to take the WBO title from Teofimo Lopez. While Stevenson had the option of retaining his 135 lb belt, that would have required a $100,000 sanctioning fee which he chose not to pay.
Even though Shakur took to social media to complain about the decision, it seemed his eyes were set on heavier weight classes. Right after his unanimous decision over Lopez, he was already in the ring talking to Conor Benn about a potential move to 147. He mentioned a rehydration clause for that one, showing he’s more interested in new challenges than looking back at the lightweight ranks.
This opens the door wide for Zepeda. The WBC is expected to order a fight between him and interim champion Jadier Herrera to fill the vacancy. Zepeda, now 33-1, proved his worth last July when he pushed Shakur to the absolute limit at Louis Armstrong Stadium. In that fight, Zepeda ignored Shakur’s jab and forced a brutal infighting, punishing the New Jersey native with constant body work in a contest many fans thought was too close to call.
While Herrera brings serious power from the southpaw stance, he hasn’t handled the kind of relentless volume and pressure that Zepeda carries in the ring. If this fight is made, Zepeda has a massive opportunity to finally wrap that green belt around his waist.
It’s going to be hard for Jadier to keep Zepeda off him for 12 rounds of relentless pressure. He is not going to slow down, and will continue to throw over 100 punches per round for as long as the fight lasts. Shakur was able to withstand it, but he ducked enough shots to avoid being stopped.
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Last updated on 02/04/2026
